Over the last decade the cement and concrete industry has been gradually shifting towards high performance concrete durable and sustainable construction. Construction practices in the country have accepted the blended Cements or Blended concrete as means of achieving durable concrete structures which are more resistant to environmental deterioration.
There are many a premium brands of different Cement Groups in the country which are fly ash / slag based cements competing the early strength and faster setting USPs of OPC 43/53 , which are gradually replacing the OPCs especially in the IHB segment . Some of these high strength low water demand Blended Cement Products also making its in growth in the RMC segment .
In 2015 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulated a new standard for Composite Cement (Fly ash slag Based ) , IS 16415:2015, permitting simultaneous use of fly ash and granulated blast furnace slag as mineral additives for manufacture. The Composite cements ( PCC) permits Portland cement clinker / Ordinary Portland Cement (35 – 65%), Fly Ash (15 – 35%) & Granulated slag (20 – 50%) , this opens a new avenue for improved performance of concrete and meeting the objectives of sustainable construction
The Composite Cement (PCC) would produce a cement / concrete product with the combined beneficial effects of granulated slag and Fly ash resisting more effectively , environmental deterioration of Concrete . The article was published in the Indian Cement Review , ICR September 2019- pg 54-60